The Doctor Games
by my-beautiful-idiot
Summary: Twenty-four Doctor Who characters must fight to the death when the Daleks instigate "The Doctor Games." May the Oods be ever in your favor!
1. Introduction

The Doctor Games

In the not-so-distant future, Daleks take control of the universe. As if that doesn't suck enough, they decide to exterminate their enemies in the most entertaining way possible: Take twelve women and twelve men to compete to the death in a thing known as "The Doctor Games."

The twenty four "tributes" as the Daleks have called them, must kill each other off, leaving one remaining. The winner is allowed to survive, being granted immunity from the Dalek's horrible deeds of extermination. The winner and his/her family will be taken to a new planet, to live the remainder of their lives without fear.

Let the Doctor Games begin, and may the Oods be ever in your favor!

**ALSO: You can go ahead and skip to the chapter "Mentors and Tributes" if you don't feel like reading the next dozen chapters. They're mostly pointless anyway. ENJOY!**


	2. Reapings

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey this chapter was originally twelve separate chapters, but since that took up a lot of senseless room and time, and didn't add anything to the story, I decided to just condense them all into one.**

**However, feel free to skip this chapter, and move on to the next one. You'll find all the information you need to know there, anyway. This was mainly just for formalities.**

**We now return to your regularly scheduled fanfic.**

A television screen flashes to life, revealing the face of a fancy-schmancy, new-age, neon-colored Dalek. Along with the Dalek, is an Ood.

"Welcome, viewers," says the Ood. "To the first reaping of the very first annual Doctor Games." The Ood was chosen as announcer for the games, because the Daleks thought it would lull the home viewers into a false sense of security. Devious Daleks.

The Dalek cries out, "A warning to all: Do not defy or resist. All those resisting will be exterminated!" With that, it exits the screen, leaving the Ood on screen.

"Let the reaping begin," it says, out. It directs itself to a computer board, where a list of names is displayed. A name is chosen at random, and the Ood announces the name of the first tribute, "Tom Milligan."

He worked in pediatrics in the old days, and, in truth, doesn't really know how to handle things. He steps forward, to be taken up by the transmat beam, to be teleported to who-knows-where. Tom is scared, but stands tall, ready to at least try to win this thing.

The Ood chooses another name at random, and announces, "Tom Milligan's training partner will be… Sally Sparrow."

Sally looks up from where she sits, her eyes wide in shock and fear. She kisses her husband, Larry, goodbye, and is instantly taken by the transmat. She finds herself in a metal room, outfitted with metal benches and a metal table. In the corner, a metal refrigerator sits by a metal sink. She decides that this must be the holding room for her.

At one of the metal chairs, sits Tom Milligan, who is her partner for training. The Daleks decided to split their tributes into twelve groups, to make reaping more efficient. These small groups were to be known as "districts." And district one has just been chosen.

The television screen sputters to life, and the Dalek is back on screen, the computer behind him displaying a whole new group of names. This is the district two list. Across the universe, watchers hold their breath, wondering who will have the misfortune of being reaped.

The computer selects a name at random, and the Dalek reads allowed, "The next tribute is… Doctor Nine."

He says nothing as he rises from the sofa from which he sits. He feared this happening, but did not protest as the transmat beam picked him up, and sat him down in the District Two holding cell.

After the audience members in their homes settled down from the shock of having the Doctor himself being reaped, the Dalek's voice rang out again, the female tribute's name coming through the television screen.

"Martha Jones."

Martha cries out in terror. She looks to Mickey, who tells her to be strong, but the end of his final goodbye is cut off from Martha, as she is taken by the transmat and into the metal room, which is empty, except for a strange man she's never seen before.

"Who are you!" she asks, on edge from the recent shock.

"I'm the Doctor. Not the one you know, but the one before him. I've been pulled out of my original timeline in order to partake in the games."

Pretending to understand, Martha pulls herself up and sits on the metal chair. The room has no doors or windows, so Martha decides to accept her fate, and prepare for the games to come.

The Ood is back on camera, and says, "The reaping is off to an excellent start, wouldn't you say?"

Viewers at home scoff in disgust. Of course it's not excellent! But they cannot protest, or they face death by extermination.

The Ood gets right to the point, announcing for District Three, "Our male tribute will be… Wilfred Mott."

Sighs of sadness and cries of the unfairness of it all can be heard across galaxies, as the brave soldier stands to face his sentence. He looks to his family, to his daughter who cries her eyes out, to his granddaughter, who's mind had been stabilized in order to accept the Doctor Games, to his grandson-in-law, his arm comfortingly around Donna. He waves tearfully to them, and then is gone.

The Ood continues swiftly, "And followed by… Lucy Saxon."

Lucy was not in much shock, her mind dull as she heard her name called. She didn't even process what was happening until she arrived in the metal room with Wilf. By the time she realized what her being reaped meant, she had already decided to accept it.

And so, as Lucy finds herself in a terrifying, confusing, complicated situation, and Wilf struggles to remain strong for this young lady he's never met, so concluded District Three reaping.

After the emotional events of the first three Reapings, nobody wants to take any more of it.

The Ood, however, reads of a name, nonetheless. "District Four tribute… Jeff. The good-looking one. With the laptop."

Jeff is in shock. He's never really done much with the Doctor or aliens, except for the one time when the Doctor used his laptop in order to save the world and defeat Prisoner Zero. Nonetheless, Jeff, who's last name shall remain undisclosed, said goodbye to his Gran, just in time to be zapped out by the transmat.

The Ood continues, and, when he reads the next name, three versions of the Doctor, one in a metal room with Martha, two sitting safe in front of their televisions, cry out in horror. "The next tribute is… Rose Tyler."

Rose's hand flies to her mouth to stifle a sob. Once controlled, she gives a tearful and heartfelt goodbye to Jackie, Pete, and John Smith, the duplicate of the tenth Doctor, in case the reader has been living under a rock for the last few seasons, and needs to be reminded of past events.

Once inside the metal room, Rose quickly introduces herself to Jeff (and doesn't question his lack of a last name.)

"And so," says the Ood, as he flashes onto the television screen for the fifth time, "We enter our District Five Reaping."

In the little metal cells, Tom, Sally, Nine, Martha, Wilf, Lucy, Jeff, and Rose, all listen intently, wondering and fearing who will join them in the terrible games.

"The next tribute is… Captain Jack Harkness."

Jack stands from where he sat in the Torchwood hub, because, no matter what has happened in Torchwood's history, the author of this story really doesn't know where else to put him. He says goodbye to his friends, not bothering with tears, because he knows he can't die. However, he suspects that the Daleks will have found a way to fix that for the Games. He is transmatted into the metal room designated for District Five.

The Ood selects another random name from the computer screen, and said, "The next tribute to join him will be… A woman called 'Sexy.'"

Somewhere in the universe, the Eleventh Doctor gives his TARDIS's human incarnation a loving farewell. Sexy nods bravely to him, telling him goodbye, and that he will always be her thief. She is transported into the same room, and the Captain quickly introduces himself.

"Captain Jack Harkness," he says with a congenial grin, despite the dire atmosphere.

"Hello," she says, slightly awestruck by this dashing man, "I'm… Sexy."

With a smile, he replied, "Yes, you are."

Viewers at home allow themselves a brief moment to laugh, before remembering that, more likely than not, these two amusing specimens will be dead very soon.

It is time for the next Reaping, and members of the Sixth District are nervous and scared. The Ood's voice calms them a little, but not enough to make anybody feel safe.

"Our male tribute for District Six in these First Annual Doctor Games shall be… The Tenth Doctor."

He looks down at his feet for a moment, certain not to show fear for his worst enemy. He brings his gaze back up, and greets the transmat beam. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, and, when he opens them, he finds himself alone in a strange room made of cold, hard, metal. He takes a seat, and fiddles with his sonic screwdriver, contemplating ways to use it as a defensive device. He is not looking forward to murdering more innocent people. He hopes he doesn't have to.

The Ood returns to the computer, and fiddles with its controls, to receive another random name. However, the computer seems to be stuck, and, after a few tantalizing minutes of seeing the Ood banging the computer, trying to prompt it into giving him a name, he finally succeeds.

Having gotten the computer to work, he says, "The District Six female tribute will be Amy Pond."

In a cottage in Leadworth, Rory and Amy are found in a passionate embrace, neither one of them wanting to let go. After she realizes she must leave, or risk extermination, she turns away, not wanting to look at her husband, afraid to start crying. The transmat beam takes her to the metal room, where she sees a skinny man in a blue suit.

"Hi there," she says, numbly.

"Hi," says the Doctor, as he helps Amy off of the ground and into a chair. "I'm the Doctor. This is my tenth face, so I suppose I'll just be called 'Ten' during this thing."

"I'm Amy," she says.

Amy and Ten quickly become acquainted, and instantly begin to draw up strategies. How, they wonder, can they manage to survive as long as possible, without becoming monsters, no better than Daleks?

On screen, the Ood appears for the next reaping, for District Seven.

Getting down to business, and, hoping the computer will not give out again, the Ood quickly retrieves a name. "Leo Jones." He calls out.

Leo looks up quickly. He had never been too bright, but he was strong. His first thought was that, at the very least, he could protect his sister, Martha, for as long as possible. He hands his child to the woman he loves, kisses her goodbye, and winces, not in pain, but in anticipation, as the transmat teleports him to the holding room of metal.

The Ood, having gotten the next name, announces, "The next tribute, representing the Seventh District, will be Lady Christina de Souza."

After having a television installed in her flying bus, Christina is ready for this. She lands her hovering home, and steps outside, looking up into the air. She remembers the first and only time she'd ever met the Doctor in the bus. She doubts she'd ever see the bus again. But she'll see the man again, very soon, when they'll be trying to kill each other. She spreads her hands out, and welcomes the transmat.

Thus concludes the seventh Reaping.

Televisions across the universe stare out with blank screens. Or, in some cases, screens filled with static. On the other end of the cameras, Daleks are having some technical difficulties. All around the broadcast rooms in Satellite Five, Daleks and enslaved Ood run about, trying to get their cameras and transmitters back online.

In the chaos, the Announcer Ood decided to go ahead and draw two names, to announce whenever they get back on the air.

At long last, televisions come to life, and the Ood stands, ready and awaiting, to give the news. "The two District Eight tributes will be… The Master, and River Song."

In some celestial holding pen at the very edges of the universe, the Master looks up, at hearing his name. "Ah," he says to himself, "A chance to get my revenge…" He goes with the transmat gratefully.

River Song, also in a holding pen, Stormcage, looks about her. She has often broken out of her jail cell, but usually it is because she wants to, not because she is being forced to escape. River doesn't bother packing, and simply waits for the transmat to deliver her.

The Master and River arrive in the room at the same time, both equally confused. When they both recover, they instantly butt heads. There is no way these two masterminds can coexist. And yet, they must find a way, at least until the start of the Games.

Across the universe, those who have never met the Doctor, or heard of his deeds, sigh in relief, noticing the pattern that, although everyone in the universe is elligable for Reaping, only those in direct contact with the Doctor, at one point or another, are in real danger.

The Ood solidifies this suspicion among viewers, when he announces that, "District Nine male tribute is Rory Williams."

He stands up in front of the television, and shouts, to no one in particular, or, perhaps, to everyone in the universe, "My wife is in there! I'm going to make sure she survives, Daleks, you hear? You can't take her from me, you –" His final words are lost in the transmat beam.

The Ood continues, "And the female tribute is Reinette Poisson."

The entire country of France gasps as their historical figure is ripped from time and space and plopped into a hard metal room.

In shock, Rory assists the fallen lady, and says, "Oh! Madame de Pompadour! I'm so, terribly sorry. I'm –"

She cuts him off, getting to her feet on her own. "Hush, monsieur. I am fine. I know of what is to come, but if I can see my beloved Doctor again, then this all might be worth it."

And so, as the Reaping draws closer to its close, many lives have been saved by not being drawn, and many more lives will soon be at risk.

Televesion sets sputter into life all over the universe, as the Ood returns for another reaping.

Clicking the computer screen for a random name, the Ood gets his information, and announces to the universe, "District Ten male tribute will be Pete Tyler."

As, in Holding Room Four, Rose cries out "Dad!" and, at their home, Jackie cries out, "No! Not another!" Pete Tyler is taken from his home, and placed in a cold metal room. He is eager to play, not to win, but to defend his daughter.

The Ood receives another name, and said, "Followed by Chantho."

Chantho, confused and scared, is taken from her laboratory at the end of the universe, and transmatted into Holding Room Ten. She lies on the ground for a moment or two, stunned.

Pete rushes over, and picks her up off the ground, muttering to himself, "Of course. My only help is an insect." He is usually not angry and cross, but, when aggravated, scared, or stressed, the worst Pete Tyler is shown. This was the worst.

After more complaining and cursing to himself, Pete regained his composure, and said, "I'm sorry. Bad day, you'll understand." She nodded. "Well then, I'm Pete."

"Chan, it is nice to meet you. I am Chantho, tho." Pete rolled his eyes.

The Reapings are almost done, but, even at this stage, nobody can rest yet.

The TV's come to life, and show the Ood, getting the name for the next unlucky soul to compete in the Doctor Games.

"The Eleventh Doctor."

The Doctor lets out his held breath. He knew this was coming. The Daleks probably rigged the Reaping for the most recent version of himself to come and compete. He doesn't know what he was going to do, but he knows he'll have to do something.. He straightens his bowtie, and prepares to be transported.

The computer screen flashes again, and gives the Ood another name to read aloud, "Harriet Jones."

Harriet stands up, trying to act brave, when, really, she is scared. Scared to die. Scared to kill. Scared that her mother will be left all on her own. Nonetheless, she is strong when she is transported into the metal holding cell.

"Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister," she says to Eleven.

"Yes," he replies, "I know who you are."


	3. Mentors and Tributes

The Reapings have just concluded, and the twenty-four tributes are safe and sound in their Holding Rooms. Some rooms are filled with utter silence. In some, the tributes sob for all that they are to lose. In some, the tributes are talking feverishly, drawing up battle plans. And, in some, the tributes scream at the Daleks around them.

However, soon, it is time for the tributes to choose their mentors. The mentors are people on the outside that can directly influence the tributes from their certain Districts. The mentors can send gifts to assist them, and, promote their tributes to receive donations.

In District One, Tom Milligan and Sally Sparrow have chosen Larry Nightingale as their mentor, for his previous experience with the Weeping Angels.

For District Two, Nine and Martha have chosen Mickey Smith, despite Nine's protestations.

The tributes of the third district, Wilfred and Lucy, have chosen Donna Noble to be their mentor.

The mentor for Jeff and Rose is to be John Smith, the Tenth Doctor's duplicate.

Captain Jack and Sexy, from District Five, decided to call upon Jack's friend, Gwen Cooper, who he knows from Torchwood.

For District Six, Amy and Ten chose for Sarah Jane Smith to be their mentor.

Lady Christina de Souza and Leo Jones, District Seven tributes, chose for their mentor to be Leo's sister, Leticia. Tish joined reluctantly, for she didn't want her actions to bring about the death of her sister, but she agreed eventually.

District Eight ran into a bit of difficulty with the selection. Since the tributes found it difficult to get along, they had a challenging time agreeing on a mentor. Eventually, they chose Dorium Maldovar, better known as the big, fat, blue man from A Good Man Goes To War.

Reinette and Rory, from District Nine, decided that their mentor would be the Sontaran nurse, Commander Strax. 

From District Ten, Pete Tyler and Chantho had trouble finding a mentor. They had originally wanted for John Smith to be their mentor, but he had already been claimed by District Four. So, in his place, they opted for Jackie Tyler to be their mentor, a daring move on their part.

In District Eleven, Harriet Jones and Eleven, after debating for hours, decided their mentor would be a UNIT officer, Erisa Magambo.

The last district, District Twelve, had an unfortunate experience getting a mentor. They originally wanted the doctor's duplicate, but he was taken. They, then, decided to have Doriam Maldovar. However, he was taken as well. At last, they got the Sulian warrior, Madame Vastra, to be their mentor.

This concludes the selection process. The following list displays all of the tribute information decided upon:

District One: **Tom Milligan and Sally Sparrow**, with Larry Nightingale

District Two: **Ninth Doctor and Martha Jones**, with Mickey Smith

District Three: **Wilfred Mott and Lucy Saxon**, with Donna Noble

District Four: **Jeff the Good-Looking One and Rose Tyler**, with John Smith

District Five: **Captain Jack Harkness and Sexy**, with Gwen Cooper

District Six: **Tenth Doctor and Amy Pond**, with Sarah Jane Smith

District Seven: **Leo Jones and Lady Christina de Souza**, with Leticia Jones

District Eight: **The Master and River Song**, with Dorium Maldovar

District Nine: **Rory Williams and Reinette Poisson**, with CommanderStrax

District Ten: **Pete Tyler and Chantho**, with Jackie Tyler

District Eleven: **Eleventh Doctor and Harriet Jones**, with Erisa Magambo

District Twelve: **Vincent Van Gogh and Lorna Bucket**, with Madame Vastra


	4. Training Scores

It is one week after the Reapings, and all the tributes are in the final stages of preparation. Rigorous training and outside pressure did more than prepare the tributes for battle; it also affected them on a different level. For those who didn't want to kill at first, now found themselves eager to prove their worth. For, if they survive, so do their families. And to grant their families immunity from the Dalek's terror is the greatest prize anyone can imagine.

In the last week, each tribute was given a training score, 1 being the worst, and least likely to survive, 12 being the best, and most able to win, in order for sponsors and viewers to judge the competition:

Tom Milligan: 10, Sally Sparrow: 7, Nine: 8, Martha: 9, Wilf: 3, Lucy: 2, Jeff: 10, Rose: 9, Jack: 12, Sexy: 6, Ten: 10, Amy: 9, Leo: 8, Christina: 12, Master: 7, River: 11, Rory: 7, Reinette: 5, Pete: 6, Chantho: 2, Eleven: 9, Harriet: 3, Vincent: 1, Lorna: 10

With these scores, it is clear that the winner would most likely be Captain Jack Harkness, or Lady Christina de Souza. It is also apparent that Vincent Van Gogh, Chantho, and Lucy Saxon won't make it very long at all. However, anything can happen in these games. Anything at all.

The next update will be the first installment of the games. Look out!


	5. Inside the Games

Amy's eyes are shut as she rises up to her platform in the arena. She can tell that she is now at her destination, but remains still, on her circle.

The place where the tributes will fight is known as the arena. It is a massive place, more like a wilderness park, allowing for entertaining and creative deaths. The tributes would all start in one place, of course, with nothing but the uniform clothes on their backs. That's why it all starts at the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn willed with survival equipment, weapons, food, and anything else one might need in the arena. This would be the starting point for everyone in the games.

Amy opens her eyes, to see, for the first time, just where she is. It looks like a pine forest. The air is cool and crisp, as if it is just becoming dawn. The ground is stiff with frost and pine needles.

She sees the Golden Cornucopia, and its array of stuff inside. She wanted to run right to it as soon as she was allowed to, but her mentor Sarah Jane Smith, had instructed her and Ten to get away from it as soon as possible, to be away from the bloodbath.

She looks to her side, at Ten, who stands on his little circle not far off. They lock eyes, and then look away. They'd become good friends in the past week, and decided to stay together for as long as possible, then to split up later in, to avoid having to kill each other.

Amy scans the other tributes, taking them in for one last time. She'd seen a lot of them in the past week, but tried not to interact. Except for with Rory. He was her husband, after all, and, even on the brink of death, she didn't want to lose him to Madame de Pompadour. She looks to Rory, but he is too bust judging the Cornucopia. She desperately wants to run to him, but she can't, because leaving the circle before time results in immediate extermination. Her mind is blasted away from the thought of her husband by a cannon blast. The cannon blast that signaled the start of the games.

She looks to Ten, who nods. Then, all hell brakes loose. Of course, Amy and Ten don't see it. They are too busy running for their lives. They can hear it, of course, the running around, the screaming, and the fighting. Another cannon boom echoes in the air, signaling the first death of the games. Amy looks back, but Ten grabs her hand, and pulls her onward, running into the trees.

Back at the Cornucopia, Lorna Bucket is fighting for her life. She wrestles a small backpack out of the hands or Martha Jones, and then dashes for the trees, happy with her small token. She'd decided not to stick with Vincent Van Gogh. He was very nice to her, but much more of a liability than an asset.

Martha, after losing her supplies to Lorna, turns back around. She sees, in front of her, a sonic device. She dives for it, having to knock aside an old man who she vaguely recognizes, then continues to fight her way through, picking up weapons and supplies as much as she can. Satisfied, she runs away.

Nine, having lost his companion, Martha, in the frenzy, looks for more supplies to use. He finds a backpack, a knife, and a metal rod. Since he'd avoided fighting, Nine decided to accept he's not going to find Martha in the melee, and turns to run for cover.

However, he is stopped, when a woman grabs his ankle, hindering him from moving. He reacts swiftly, bringing the metal rod down upon his assailer's head. The grip loosens immediately, and Nine dashes into the trees, hearing a cannon blast follow in his wake.

Sexy and Jack had stayed together in this time. They'd each gotten some supplies, and then decided to escape. At the end of the long day of walking, Sexy and Jack found a large rock lying in clearing of the trees. They decide to camp here. In the falling light, the sky lights up with a hologram. This is the daily broadcast. An Ood's voice rings loud over the arena, and all surviving tributes look up.

"Congratulations," says the voice, "You have finished the first day." After other pointless courtesies, the screen in the sky begins to display the casualties of the day, so that the tributes and the spectators can know who is left.

The first face to show up is that of Lucy Saxon. She died quickly, when Tom Milligan took the gun she'd found at the cornucopia. He decided not to use it, to save the bullets for later, but he gave her a hark knock to the head. As she fell, she was trampled.

Next is Vincent Van Gogh. Lorna had been right to leave him. He stumbled into trouble right away, foolishly trying to take Christina de Souza's sword. She used it against him.

The next face to show was that of Pete Tyler, who was stabbed by the Master while trying to grab a loaf of bread from the cornucopia. From where Rose sat in the arena, she stood and whispered, "Dad…" as her final goodbye.

The last face of the night was the face of Harriet Jones, Former Prime Minister. Nine had not seen who he'd hit with the metal rod, but he is sure that this was it. His first kill. And he hadn't even meant to.

And, as the sky goes dark and televisions are turned off for the night, the whole universe fears what is next to come.


	6. Of Allies and Enemies

Jackie Tyler, Erisa Magambo, Madame Vastra, and Donna Noble all mourn the losses of their tributes, some more than others. Even if they didn't know each other well before the games, the week of training really made their bonds grow.

The sun rises on the second day, and Sally Sparrow decides to go over the things she's gotten from the Cornucopia. She managed to snag a small backpack, which contained a first aid kit, a bottle full of some energy-health drink, a loaf of bread, and a small knife. In addition, she got a package that contained a wool blanket and a sling shot.

Happy with her findings, she takes her pack and decides to continue into the woods. The landscape is mostly made up of frost, pine trees, and rocks, and it appears to be slowly climbing upwards. After traveling uphill most of the day, Sally decides to rest. She is cold at this point, the climate changing intensely as she climbs higher. The ground has more stone, and trees are sparser.

She looks behind her, and is surprised to see how far she's come. She can see behind the trees, from her vantage point, to see, off in the distance, a glittering golden spot, the far-off Cornucopia. She's come a long, long way.

Hungry, having only had a few sips of the energy drink to keep her sustained, Sally sits on a rock and eats some bread. Without noticing it, she ends up consuming half of the loaf. Cursing her foolishness out loud, she saves the rest, not knowing when she'll find more food.

Rose Tyler walks slowly towards where she heard the noise. It was a human's noise, she knew that. It sounded like a woman's voice, harsh yet quiet. She Rose move forward, she sees a blonde woman sitting on a rock. Rose saw she had a backpack full of supplies.

Rose only has a little bag, which contained a knife and a one-foot square cloth. Not much use for survival. But Rose had the knife. She crept forward, making sure not to be heard by the woman in front of her, whom she identified as Sally Sparrow. Once close enough, Rose attacks from behind and puts the knife to Sally's throat.

"G-Give me your bag!" she demands, nervous in her position of dominance.

In shock, Sally replied, "What… I don't…"

"I don't want to kill you. Just… Just give me your bag, and I'll leave you alone. I promise."

Left with no choice, Sally takes the pack, and tosses it behind her. It lands just to the left of Rose, who pulls it towards herself with a foot, not releasing Sally. Before she leaves, she apologizes profusely. Rose takes the backpack and runs away, further up into the freezing mountain. Sally remains where she is, too scared to move.

Down in the forest, however, River Song was having less luck. Someone was chasing her. She didn't see who it was, but someone had found her, and was on her trail. Dashing through the forest, she blindly runs into someone in front of her.

The two tributes tumble onto the ground, and roll down a slope. When they settle, River looks into the eyes of the other tribute, and says, with an ironic air, "Oh! Hello, sweetie."

Eleven and River stand up in a flurry, and River says, "Look out. Someone was following me." Just as she says that, someone bursts through the trees, brandishing two machetes, one in each hand, waving them threateningly.

Jeff begins to walk towards them, murder in his eyes. Eleven raises his hand, and points something at his attacker. From his hand, a sonic blaster releases a field of energy, blowing Jeff off his feet, and into a tree, knocking him out.

"Sweetie!" says River, surprised.

Eleven shows River his weapon. "Sonic Blaster. Good for three uses." He inspects Jeff, lying on the ground. "We just used one."

"We?" echoes River.

Eleven plucks the machetes from Jeff's hands, and gives one to River. "Yes. We."

So, River and Eleven set out in their new alliance, leaving Jeff underneath a pile of pine needles and pebbles.

Wilf, in the late afternoon, finds himself by a river. Glad to find water, and thirsty beyond belief. He kneels down by the river, and drops his sack next to him. He hadn't gotten much at the Cornucopia, either. Only a small sack filled with seeds. He'd been able to eat them, but they weren't very filling. Or good.

He plunges his hands into the water, then recoils. It is freezing cold. He puts his fingers in slowly, and withdraws water to drink, not caring about purifying it. He hadn't even gotten a weapon to use. He realizes now, that his only defense is not starving. He curls against a tree, and shivers against the dying light.

That night, no new faces appear in the sky. They all live to see another day.


	7. Broken Time

The morning of the third day, Chantho finds herself hungry beyond compare. She had only managed to grab a knife and a jacket when she escaped from the Cornucopia. The only thing she's consumed since then has been a few twigs, leaves, and water. Although she can produce her own supply of internal milk, she still needs outside nutrients to make enough to sustain her. Not to mention she is exhausted.

The weather seems to be colder than the first and second days. Chantho was thankful for her jacket, without which, she'd surely freeze. She in the south, by the river, having travelled for two days to get there, not knowing what she'll find.

At the same time, Jack is thundering through the forest. Someone is chasing him. He isn't used to being scared of death. In fact, he has a hard time comprehending his impending doom, even as it races towards him.

Running for dear life, Jack comes to the river. He doesn't stop running but attempts to jump over it. He splashes down a third of the way through, and shudders as the icy current grips him. Hi takes a ragged breath, and plunges himself under the water. He kicks about under the water, lost, unsure which way is up and which is death.

The cold grips at his chest, and his lungs threaten to burst. He approaches the other bank steadily, and is within feet of safety, when something grabs his ankle, pulling him further into the water. The crazy things that the Oods have produced for the games, killer eels must have been on the list. He fumbles underwater for his laser blaster, gripping it as well as he can with frozen fingers. He manages to find the trigger, and shoots blindly into the water. Instantly, his leg is released, and he swims, as fast as he can, upward.

He doesn't make it to the other side before he blacks out.

Meanwhile, Amy and Ten are back at the Cornucopia. They'd spent the first day travelling away from it, and the second travelling back. After all, everyone will have cleared out by now. A river runs to the south of the Cornucopia, and a mountain rises to the west. In the north, only ice fields. Even so, the odds were that nobody would be at the Cornucopia, but extra supplies would be.

They found, in the night, after the fruitless announcement, two full packs of food, a case of first aid supplies, a bow and sheath of arrows, a shield, three think blankets, an umbrella, a backpack containing a shovel, a length of rope, and a large hammer, a sword, a sleeping bag, and a gun with extra ammo.

"Ten," calls Amy from inside the giant golden funnel, as she fiddles with the knot on a health-pack, "Get back here. Don't wander off."

He begrudgingly walks back from where he stood at the end of the clearing. "Oh, alright then, Amy."

"Eleven always calls me 'Pond,'" she says.

"Well, I suppose I'm not Eleven, am I?"

With a smile, Amy replies, "No, I suppose you're not." After a brief moment, Amy continues, "Now, how long are we going to stay here?"

"Well," says Ten, putting on a pair of glasses which he found in one of the supply containers, "We stay together until there are five tributes left. Then we're on our own."

"Right," she agrees. "I don't want it to come down to the two of us. I couldn't kill you. Not ever."

With a nod, Ten confirms, "Neither could I. We're a team, you and I!"

Amy agrees wholeheartedly, then says, "But, Ten, I don't get it. Why would the Daleks need to have these games? Why don't they just exterminate us, if they have the ability?"

Ten thinks for a moment, and then replies, "You know… That's a fair question. Dalek's have always been a strange race. Maybe they've just taken an… evolutionary stride?"

Amy nods, though both her and Ten are lost in contemplation.

Slowly, Amy's thoughts slip to her husband…

He and Reinette are at the base of the mountain, its eastern side. They make slow progress, circling around and around, not travelling, just wandering.

"Honestly, Rory!" says the French aristocrat, "Can't we stop and rest?"

"No. People could be out there, hunting us down right now. We keep moving until we find shelter."

"Nobody is out there right now! Look! We've been wandering for days, and we haven't run into a single person! We're safe."

Rory turns to face his friend. "Look at this." He produces a gun from his belt. It was his first gift from his mentor in the arena, sent to both Reinette and Rory, when they came away from the Cornucopia with nothing but food packs. When it arrived twenty minutes earlier, in a box sent down with a little silver parachute, Rory and Reinette were very grateful, but didn't think too much about it.

"Yes? That's our gun."

"Commander Strax didn't have to send us a gun," explained Rory. "I think it's a message. A warning. We need to be careful." He hands the gun to Reinette, "Stay safe. We keep moving." He turned back to lead the way.

"Rory, I can tell you, there is nobody out there! We are completely alone at present. No one is about to kill us."

However, as she says that, her last words are cut off by a small cry from her. Rory turns around to see Reinette, a look of horror, shock, and pain on her face. Then, she falls forward, an arrow sticking up in her back. A cannon blasts through the air.

Rory, alarmed, falls to the ground beside Reinette. He checks her pulse, and the stillness confirms with the cannon that she is dead. He hears a rustling sound, and looks up. Through the trees, he sees the emotionless face of Leo Jones.

"I'm sorry," says Leo, as he emerges from the trees, "But I've got a family to care for. I've got to win this. For them." Before Rory can reach for the gun, or even say anything, Leo raises his bow, and an arrow soars through Rory's skull. Another cannon blast is heard.

That night, Rory and Reinette are shown dead on the image in the air.

When Amy looks out to see his face, illuminated in the sky, she is silent. Completely silent. Then she cries out. She runs from the mouth of the Cornucopia, into the clearing, shouting at the sky.

Ten races out after her, and tries to restrain her.

"Rory! No! Not Rory!" she calls, tears streaming down her face, struggling against Ten.

"Amy," He says, dragging her backwards, "Please you've got to listen to me!"

"Get off me!"

"It's going to be okay, Amy!"

"What do you mean it's okay? He's dead! He's gone! No!" Amy shrieks again.

Ten forces Amy to face him. "Amy, in your honor. He died so you could you live. You know he did. Don't let him die in vain." Amy continues to scream. "Amy! Please, don't let this kill you. That'll only give the Daleks more power over you, and I won't allow you to do that. Here's what you do: This makes you stronger, it makes you fight harder! Fight for Rory, Amy. Fight!"

Amy gives up her struggle at last. She collapses against Ten and cries quietly into his shoulder, the only realities in her life are Ten's firm hold on her, and her husband's death.

When she is all cried out, she gave Ten one last hug, then walks into the Cornucopia. Because she knows she won't let the Daleks get away with his murder. This makes her stronger. It makes her fight harder. But against who?

River and Eleven stare at the sky, numb to Rory's death. They each had seen so much death in their lives (much of it, their own doing) that the games didn't seem as effective. But, a thought does rise in River's head.

"Eleven," she says, "Did my parents already… have me? By this time, I mean."

"Yes, River. All that's been done," After a pause, he continues "Not that it matters to the Daleks."

"What do you mean?" asks River, taking a bite out of the cooked lizard that she'd hunted earlier in the day.

"The Daleks have broken time, River."

She stops herself before taking another bite, confused at Eleven's revelation. "Broken time?"

"They've ripped me, and Nine and Ten, out of our own timelines. The same timeline. But the thing is… we're really three different people."

"How so? What has happened?"

"The Daleks happened. They've split, stitched, unwound and undone time so much, that, if one of those past versions of myself were to die, I would stay the same. If your parents were to die before you were born, you'd stay the same, because of how much damage has been done to the universe. Even this arena is a parallel dimension, all its own. This is a place where Time makes no sense. All for these 'Doctor Games.'"

"More like 'The Impossible Games' if you ask me," River replies.

"They've taken people out of time, and space, and history. They've even brought people back from the dead. This is all wrong, River. All wrong."

"But what can we do about it, Sweetie? We're helpless here."

Eleven sat down next to her, and picked up his share of the cooked lizard. "We'll figure something out. At least, we'll try. I promise we will."


	8. Martha and the Master Meet Once More

Nine has been alone since day one, contemplating his murder of Harriet Jones. He hadn't meant to kill her, only knock her off of him. He surprised himself at how strong he'd been, and he knows he must continue to be strong.

He has traveled north, up a trail in the mountains. The weather is much colder, a light dusting of snow caking the rocky ground. The day before, his Mentor sent him a gift, a blanket that camouflages body heat, but also reflects it, making him undetectable if anybody gets special heat-seeking weapons, but he is also safe and warm. Shivering, he wraps the blanket around himself, and plods upward. He continues on, until he trips and falls over a lump on the ground.

Shaking himself off, he looks back at the thing that tripped him. It looked like a person, a woman. Noticing her hair is blonde, he rushes over to check that this woman is not Rose.

It's not. It's Sally Sparrow. Her skin is cold, and has a slight blue tinge. However, her eyes blink open at Nine's touch, quickly to shut again. She is half-frozen, yet alive. Nine still has the metal rod, and raises it above his head. Just as he is about to bring it down, and rid himself of another competitor, when his first thought of the girl comes back to mind. He thought she was Rose. And Nine knows he could never kill Rose.

Instead, he lifts her slowly off the ground, wraps the blanket around her, and carries her onward, fearing a cannon blast at any second, for Sally is close to death.

However, the Master is doing quite well. He is well fed, with the help of his very own food-pack. He is protected from the cold with his thermo-suit. He can see at night with his night-vision goggles. And he's been on the trail of Martha Jones for two days, just waiting to get close enough, without being discovered.

And, on this day, he found his opportunity. Martha had sensed she was being followed, or at least tracked. So, in order to evade attack for as long as possible, she traveled all night long, going from the southern river, to the ice fields, back around to the base of the mountain, then towards the Cornucopia a part way.

When she had traveled all she could, when the morning sunlight broke over the trees, she decided to sit down and rest. After the sun had risen, she decided it was as good a time as ever to set up camp and sleep. This is how the Master finds Martha: propped up against a tree, tucked inside a sleeping bag, with her sack of supplies from the Cornucopia next to her, and a sonic modulator in her hand.

The Master picks up a pine cone, and tosses it towards Martha. It passes her, and hits the ground with a rattle on the other side of her little camp. If Martha were aware of the noise, she would look up at it. But she doesn't move. The Master, realizing with sick pleasure that she was asleep, creeps up behind her.

He had every intention of killing her quickly, but, as he raises his blade, he has a sudden urge. An urge to have fun. He presses the cutting edge to her throat, waking Martha with a start.

"Good morning," he says with an icy voice.

"Saxon," she says with disgust, as she realized her situation.

"Master, you mean," he replies coolly, pressing the blade harder against her flesh. "Now, Jones, would you like me to kill you quickly, or do you want to put up a fight?"

"Why bother asking me, then?" she asks venomously. "Why not just kill me now?"

"Oh… Dear Martha… Where's the fun in that?" he asks, his mouth close to her ear.

"That's sick. You are _sick._"

"My dear Martha Jones," he says with a laugh, "You can't have _slaughter _without _laughter._"

Martha's disgust reaches its breaking point, and she activates the sonic modulator in her hand. Instantly, a loud, low, sonic force explodes from the modulator. The Master reels back, and clamps his hands around his ears, ineffectively trying to block the noise.

Martha, also affected by the device. She leaps from her sleeping bag, grabs a large chopping knife from her bag, and runs across the clearing, dropping the sonic device. Without that modulator on, the Master would surely give chase. However, Martha has a significant head start. Nevertheless, within a few seconds after setting out for the Cornucopia, Martha hears footsteps approaching behind her.

Lorna Bucket is crouched in a tree, when she hears someone rushing past beneath her. She looks down just in time to see Martha race past. Moments later, the Master crashes past. He is gaining on her, noticeably. Lorna decides to watch and see what happens. She drops from the tree, and follows them.

At the Cornucopia, Ten and Amy are having an eventless day. The morning has passed with nothing happening, but, just as Amy and Ten finish up their mid-morning meal, laughing at a memory that Ten shared from before the Games, they hear something from inside the woods.

Ten begins across the field, curious as to what the sound. He stands for a moment, inspecting the line of trees, when, suddenly, Martha Jones bursts into the field. She is closely followed by the Master.

"Amy!" he calls.

She is by his side in a second, and places a sword in his hand. They charge at the Master, but he has already caught up with Martha, and tackles her to the ground. They arrive just as Martha scrambles to her feet.

In the fight that follows, Lorna watches from a nearby tree, wondering if she should join in, or run away. She can see that, even though the Master is clearly the main target, and therefore outnumbered, he is fighting back strongly. However, the only real alliance in the fight is between Ten and Amy. The Master and Martha are just fighting everybody. She winces as Martha carves her knife against Amy's forearm. Lorna's stomach jumps as Ten takes a slice to the shoulder. She reels as Martha is stabbed through the middle. However, when it appears that the Master is somehow stronger than the other three, Lorna decides to take action.

She moves slowly along the outside of the clearing, making sure not to be seen. The fight has moved close to the edge, so Lorna creeps just beyond the tree line, knife in hand, when, at last, she finds herself directly behind the Master. Without thinking, she plunges the knife into his back. At first, the fight seems to continue without acknowledging his wound. But, when his eyes become distant, and his body limp, and a cannon is shot into the air, Martha, Amy, and Ten all stop.

All is still for a moment, until Martha also falls to the side, a hand clutching her stomach. She looks at her hand, which is covered in fresh blood. Her blood. And a lot of it. Far too much. Her eyes meet Ten's who has knelt down beside her.

"Martha, hold on," he says urgently.

"Doctor…" she mutters quietly, griping his hand weakly, before her eyes flutter closed, and a cannon blast bellows in the air.

"Ten," Amy mutters softly, "Who was she?"

Softly, he replies, "She was… my friend. we used to travel together…" His voice trails off.

"I'm sorry," Amy says quietly. The next second, Martha's body dissolves from Ten's hands, and disappears.

"That'll be the transmat," he says, matter-of-factly. He stands, then sees his suspicion confirmed, as the Master's body is nowhere to be found.

Instead, he looks into the forest, peering deeply, trying to find someone.

"You in there. You can come out now."

Lorna, who had hidden in a tree the second she'd killed the Master, dropped down, and timidly walked forward.

"Thank you," Ten says sincerely, his eyes brimming with gratitude and guilt.

"But I… He still got your friend," she says, uncertainly.

Ten looks away. "Yeah…"

"Hey," says Amy, "I know you. I met you at Demon's Run."

Lorna nods. "That's right."

"But…" says Amy slowly, "But you died. I'm sorry, you're dead. I was there when it happened."

"Yes… well… The Games must have fixed that," Lorna replies, nonchalantly.

"Come on," says Ten, walking back towards their camp. "People could still be around. If someone heard that fight, they'd either head away from us, or come right for us. We need to be prepared."

"Um…" says Lorna, "I think I'll head off on my own."

Amy gives her a quizzical look. "But you just saved our lives. Why not stay?"

Backing further into the trees, Lorna replies, "The three of us in alliance? We'd dominate the games. But then we'd have to turn on each other. I wouldn't want that."

Amy can't reply, before Lorna races away. She sighs, and walks back to her friend at the cornucopia.

Captain Jack Harkness opens his eyes at sundown. He blinks and tries to stretch his muscles, but finds that his arms are bound. He hears the river a ways behind him, and sees a campfire in front of him. Sitting against a tree, he sees a man.

"Oh, you're awake," he says, rising from his spot.

"What's going on?" Jack asks shakily, still recovering from his icy dip in the river.

"I just saved your life," he says. Jack can see who it is, now. It's Tom Milligan, the first man reaped.

"I came along just as that Christina chick gave up on chasing you. I figured you might make a good ally."

"Then why," asks Jack, slightly venomous, "Am I all tied up?"

"Well, I wasn't sure if you'd agree with me," Tom replies.

After a moment of thought, Jack agrees. "That's probably a good idea. But I'm not interested in any alliance."

"In that case…" Tom says, picking up a bow and arrow slowly, "I really don't want you as an enemy."

Jack realizes what's going in. He begins to protest, and makes it to his feet, arms and legs still bound, as Tom points the arrow at him. However, Tom must be having a change of heart. He points the arrow at the ground, and it sails directly through the ropes tied around Jack legs.

"Now get out of here. Now."

Jack takes this as an excuse. He utters a quick "thank you," and runs off into the trees. But Tom is cleverer than that. As Jack's back is turned, he raises the bow one more time. He pulls it taught, Jack still in his range. He is about to release the arrow, when the Dalek anthem rings across the sky.

His concentration was only broken for a fracture of a second, but by the time he looks back to Jack, he is gone, and well out of the range of his arrows. He kicks the dirt, and sits down.

Two faces flash in the sky: the Master, and Martha.

He didn't care about the Master. But Martha…

They'd known each oteher, during the Year That Never Was. Those times were all erased, of course, but Tom and Martha had met again. As if my fate. They'd instantly found attraction, and that grew into love. They were even engaged for a time. But, then, one day, she called it all off, breaking Tom's stone-cold heart.

And she turns up in the Games, married to Mickey Smith.

"_Micky Smith…"_ he mutters, a thought coming to mind.

He's learned a lot in the week of training. He learned that Rose was once Mickey's girlfriend, but left him for the tenth Doctor. Mickey was left alone, but he found Martha…

Then it clicks inside his mind. If Martha hadn't met Mickey, she'd be Tom's wife. If Mickey had never been single in the first place, he'd never taken Martha away from him. But he would have been with Rose… If Rose hadn't ruined it all.

Tom had lost Martha before, now he's losing her to death. But he now, he knows who caused his anger and sadness. Rose. All his problems started with Rose. And he intends to get revenge.


	9. Revenge

The next morning, Christina finds herself hungry, angry, and tired. After losing Captain Jack two days prior, she'd done nothing else but scour the riverside, looking for him. She has created a mental list of people she wants dead in the games. Jack Harkness is on the top of that list.

The whole previous day had been spend swimming in the river, back and forth, until, at last at noon, she'd given up and fallen into an unsettling sleep, full of nightmares that, once awoken, left her more exhausted than before she'd slept.

But, despite her sour mood, she finds a true blessing. She creeps up around a tree, to see that there is a man asleep on the ground. Not just a man, but an old man. She'd be able to take him out quickly, without having him put up a fight. Christina raises her knife above her head, ready to rid herself of another compotator.

But, at the same time, she notices another thing. He is breathing very lightly. Wilfred Mott is starving and freezing to death at the same time. His skin shines with a slightly blue tint, and ice clings to his face and hands. In this state, Christina knows he stands no threat. So, instead, she takes pine needles, dirt, and frost, and covers his body, hiding him away from the view of any other person.

She does this, not only to shield him from the possibility of another attacker, but to also ensure he won't be rescued.

Nobody can say that Lady Christina de Souza isn't a worthy competitor, but, at the same time, she is not so heartless that she'd murder a helpless old man.

**~The Doctor Games~**

"Sexy?" calls Rose. They'd found each other late at night, each one being too tired to fight or kill, decided on an alliance. However, when Rose woke up that morning, wrapped in her blanket, high in a tree, she couldn't find Sexy anywhere.

"Down here!" the TARDIS replies, from the ground, "I've found a blackberry bush. Come on over."

Rose blinks the sleep from her eyes, and shimmies down the stunk of the tree. She finds Sexy sitting on a rock, a small pouch full of dark berries next to her. The smears of purple on her fingers shows that collecting the berries must have been messy, and Rose finds herself eager to taste them, having not eaten anything sweet in days.

"So where do we go from here? South or north?" Rose asks, popping a berry in her mouth, and relishing as it squirts juice on her tongue.

Sexy checks the compass she found three days prior. "Well, I suppose we should try… Why not west?"

"West?" asked Rose. She knows that ice fields of rocks awaited at the east, and a river flows through the south. A mountain in the north…. But what of the west?

"I'd fancy exploring that. It's be worth a shot."

Rose nods. "Maybe our only shot."

They eat the rest of the berries, not caring to save some. There's bound to be food where they're going, they decide.

**~The Doctor Games~**

"Ten!" says Amy, tapping her friend's shoulder. "I heard something over there." She points into the trees to the south and east.

"Stay here," he commands, grabbing a cleaver from their arsenal. He slowly steps over the mouth of the Cornucopia, and, little by little, makes his way to the spot where Amy had heard a rustling noise.

"Who's there!" he calls, commandingly.

After a moment of stillness, a voice sounds from in the trees.

"Peace. I come in peace." Tom Milligan, hands raised, emerges from the trees, clearly not trying to pose any threat. "I'm just passing through, I swear. I'm trying to find someone. Someone who owes me something."

Untrusting, Ten, raises the knife further, saying, "Then get on your way and don't even think about coming back."

Afraid, Tom nods before saying, "Yes. Yes, of course. I'm on my way." Then, he slunk back into the trees.

Ten also turned around, and began to walk back to Amy.

"It's alright. Only Tom; I've sent him on his way…" Then, he abruptly stops talking, his mind working out what Tom had just told him. "Rose…"

"What's that?" asks Amy, stepping around the rim of the golden horn, looking concerned by the expression on Ten's face.

"Come on!" he shouts, a sudden random urgency in his voice. He tears into the trees, and Amy sprints after him.

**~The Doctor Games~**

"Rose, do you hear that?" Sexy asks, looking around them in the forest. "I don't think we're not safe here; come into the light."

The two ladies hurry ahead, into a little clearing, where they can at least see the sky, rather than the shadowy forest. But, from there, Rose did hear something. It sounded like someone running. Running fast. Running very, very fast.

And, before she can think about it, Tom is in the clearing. Sexy doesn't even have time to scream, as he digs a knife into her middle, and draws it across, slicing her entire middle. She falls down, her body's _thud_ masked by a cannon blast.

The knife had stayed inside her body, so Tom pulls a gun out, instead. It is aimed right at her chest, but instead of shooting her, he just stares, jaw clenched, hate in his eyes, torturing Rose with the anticipation of death.

"Go on, then," Rose dares. "You know you want to shoot me."

"Oh, Rose," he replies, "You have no idea."

The Tenth Doctor reaches the clearing just as Tom pulls the trigger.

Not waiting for a response or explanation, Ten soars over the few yards separating him from Tom, and hacks the cleaver into his neck. Without faltering to ensure that he is dead, Ten rushes to Rose, whose neck and chest is sticky with the ever-flowing blood.

"Rose," he says, tears welling in his eyes, "Rose, I'm here. I'm here, Rose!"

Rose's eyes are also teary with physical and emotional pain. "Doctor, it's you. Really you…" A drop of blood forms on her lower lip. She reaches her hand to Ten's face, wanting to touch him, to make sure he's real, not just a fantasy.

He holds it there with his hand, to see that both are covered in blood. "Yes, Rose, it's me. Really me. I'm right here, Rose. I'm right here."

But Rose didn't reply. She just lays there, in Ten's arms, until, after what seems like an eternity, but couldn't have been more than a couple seconds, her eyes glaze over, her breathing stops, and her hand grows limp.

And, it seems, to Ten, that the cannon blast that follows is louder than any of the others.

Amy, slower than the Doctor, gets into the clearing, just as Tom Milligan's cannon goes off. The only thing left of Sexy is a puddle of blood; her body has been transported away.

"People keep dying," says Amy.

After a moment, Ten, still cradling Rose's body, replies, "Yeah."

Rose's body disappears the same time that Tom's does. And the three red puddles begin to run together.

Ten stands up, and turns around, drenched in Tom's and Rose's blood. His eyes are lit with a new fire, and he says, "But no more, Amy. No more."

**~ The Doctor Games~**

"Come on, Sally, wake up!" calls Nine. He'd been carrying her, with painful yet purposeful slowness, up the mountain for the last few days, never going too far, not wanting to disturb her.

But now he's worried. Although she'd woken up in the few days he'd had her, only for no more than an hour at a time, she is unbearably frail. He'd heard one other cannon in the day, and feared that. The last one seemed louder for some reason, and he was almost certain that was because Sally had died. Another cannon, back to its regular volume, sounded in the air.

"Wake up, Sally!"

To Nine's pleasure, her eyes flutter open, lock on Nine's for a moment, then close back down. Nine sighs in relief that she is still alive. But he knows that she's not well. He needs to find something to help her, but he doesn't know what. What she needs is warmth, but, aside from Nine's supplies and their own body heat, she's out of luck and still just as close to death as ever.

Nine stands still, not sure of what to do. Every second he spends walking in the mountain, Sally gets weaker. He turns around, to make his way back down the mountain, deciding that, if anything, there'd be more people, and more supplies, perhaps even fire equipment, at a lower altitude.

But, just as he turns around, a silver parachute drops from the sky. He sets Sally down gently, and walks over to it. He picks it up, and unwraps the little package attached to it. Inside, a square, plastic package awaits, filled with… Nine's heart sinks, and his mind fills with frustrated rage.

_Marshmallows! Why would anyone send marshmallows!_

"Mickey Smith, you idiot!" he shouts at the sky. "What am I supposed to do with…" his voice trails off. He smiles.

He grabs the parachute and the marshmallows, and scoops up Sally. He begins to run further up the mountain, hope in his heart. With every step, Sally gets heavier, but Nine gets more excited. At last, he reaches the very top, and, instead of finding a ice-capped mountain, he finds himself staring into a deep, great hole, emanating ferocious heat.

"A volcano…" he mutters, "the mountain is a volcano."

There is a path in the wall, leading down, further into the hole. He follows it with his eyes, seeing it leads to a good space of earth a few yards down, about the size of a tennis court, and far big enough to house Sally and Nine.

It is from the bottom of that hole that Nine watches the evening's announcements of death.

The first face to flash in the sky is that of Sexy, the TARDIS herself. Nine, Ten, and Eleven find their spirits slashed further.

Next is Rose.

Then, to Ten's and Amy's surprise, the face of Wilfred Mott shines in the sky. He'd gone out at the exact same time as Rose, resulting in a seemingly-louder cannon.

It concluds with Tom's face, shining up in the sky.

And when the lights go out, and everyone but those with a campfire (or a volcano) are plunged into darkness.


	10. Perception

The next morning is warmer than the previous. Although a thin layer of frost and ice covers everything in the arena, the blocks and sheets of frozen ice shine with a glistening layer of water, not enough to melt, but enough to show optimism.

And nobody needs the optimism more than Chantho. She's been struggling the entire time, always between a state of catatonic and total panic. And, although she'd had no trouble for most of the games, she knows that the only reason she's lasted that long was because nobody was ever looking for her.

But on this morning, she realizes that someone is following her. She first realizes this as she was making her way around the ice fields. Slipping for the umpteenth time on the slick ground, she hears ice crunch behind her. Sliding around, not attempting to get back on her feet, she turns to face whatever is behind her.

She sees only an expanse of ice, rocks, and sparse plants, the forest further off. Sighing, she scrambles to her feet and continues her sliding journey towards the other end of the field, desperately trying to get back into the forest, and back under some sort of cover from there tributes, as well as the elements.

** ~The Doctor Games~**

"Ten?" Amy says, through the morning's chill. She had gotten up around midnight to relieve him of his watch shift. But, as soon as he drifted off, he began whimpering and whispering words in his sleep. It was continuous, but sparse, so that, every half hour, a solid word was said among the murmuring. One word. The same word.

"Rose."

But, now that the sun is up, Amy needs to awaken him. However, he seems to be in a too-deep sleep. Amy shakes his shoulder, wondering how he could be so asleep on the solid gold Cornucopia floor.

"Come on, Ten…" says Amy, prompting him further, crouching down by his head. "Ten, you need to get up." She prods his head. "Ten?" She taps his back. "Ten…" She stands, throwing her hands above her head in exasperation. "Doctor!"

At this, he blinks his eye open. He simply states, "I thought you call me 'Ten.'"

"I do. Now get up." Her voice changes from frustrated to gentler. "You need to eat something. You never had anything yesterday."

He sits up, and, suddenly, his sullen voice gets back to his normal self. "Quite right! And I'm starving. Have you eaten? What time is it…?"

And, he begins to talk and monologue, and tell everything and ask every question. It's as if the previous night of horrors had never happened. Amy responds positively, though, inwardly, she wasn't convinced. It was like when she was sixteen, and a boy at school's mother died. He never acted any different. That same boy now lives in a mental institution.

Later, after they had both eaten their fill, and Amy has taken up a position sitting atop the Cornucopia, the Doctor leaning up against its side, he asks her a question.

"Who are you playing for?" he says, out of nowhere.

This catches Amy off guard. She leans over to give him a quizzical look. "What?"

"Who are you playing for?" he prompts, "These games: If you win, your family, friends, allies… They're all safe as well. Who are you playing to protect?"

Amy gives this a moment of thought, and replies, "My mum and dad. And Aunt Sharon, of course. And… And Rory. Rory's memory. His honor."

The Doctor frowns. Then, he smiles, a sad smile, that grows the more he speaks. "That is… Brilliant. That is so, brilliant—So human! Ha! I love it! I mean, here, you've had just about everything stripped from you, your home, your heart, your sense of right and wrong… And you remain a human. Brilliant!"

"Yeah, I guess," Amy replies, the Doctor's grin spreading to her face as well. "I still feel like an animal, though."

The Doctor sighs. "All the Daleks' fault. The Games… all for fun; how sick is that? Daleks are ancient, you'd think they'd be more sophisticated…" The Doctor's voice continues to drone on, replaying his thoughts about humanity and emotions and virtue and Daleks, but Amy doesn't hear it.

Her mind is suddenly too hard at work to listen. She is troubled, in the very nexus of her mind. Because something the Doctor said should have brought back memories. Ideas. But, for some reason, Amy finds herself unable to recall… Recall what? There is something… Something she should be able to think about, but, she just can't. Her brain works to uncover the memories. It works to get past the brainwashing of the Doctor Games. It works to get past the perception filter, so perfectly in place as to not let anybody recognize the obvious.

**~The Doctor Games~**

At the same time, Eleven's brain works too, but a bit faster.

"Thick!" he calls out, randomly and without warning. He'd just helped River to cross an icy stream, and stands, his back facing her, a hand slapped up against his head, as he shouts at himself, "I am so stupid! How can I be this utterly _thick_!"

Calmly, River replies, "Now, sweetie, you didn't get us lost _again,_ did you? Just check the wind direction, like last time, we'll be on our way."

"No, no! Not that." Eleven says, walking away slightly, giving himself room to think. "I mean, I am stupid not to remember… Oh! Perception filter!"

"Perception filter?" asks River, her attention caught by this proclamation. "What's this about a perception filter?"

The Doctor shakes his head. "I should have known. Even with the Ood… Even with absolute power over the universe… Daleks don't care about entertainment. They never would. It's not in their biology. Daleks plan, and fight, and kill. They don't laugh. They would never organize a fun way to kill…"

"What do you mean…?" urges River.

"I mean –" A cannon blast rings through the air. He shouts at the sky, "Shut up! Where was I? Oh, yes, Daleks! They wouldn't need to watch us die, they just need us dead. So, there must be something else, with the Daleks. Someone else. A person… A person who needs to be entertained"

"Who?"

"I think I know…" the Doctor suddenly squints his eyes, and holds his head in his hands, saying, "That damn perception filter! I'm so close to the answer; I can feel it inside my mind, but I just… I just… Can't… Think!"

River puts a hand on the Doctor's tense shoulder, "It's alright. Don't stress over it. We can think later. It's a bit after mid-day; we need to catch something to eat."

However, that is easier said than done. In the Arena, the main animal is a brown-ish, tough-skinned lizard. Some robin-esque birds also flit around, and there's the fish in the icy river, but, on this day, the Doctor and River come from hunting fruitless. But, just as the sun goes down, and the Doctor's and River's stomachs are growling from hunger, two parachutes drop from the sky, one for the Doctor, one for River. And, by the light of the moon and stars, they both eat a good-sized bowl of porridge, while they watch the names of the day's death flash on the sky.

The only name is Chantho. Leo Jones had been following her through the ice fields that morning, but hadn't managed to catch her. It was Jeff that had found Chantho, cold and miserable, on the other side of the frozen landscape. It was Jeff who slit her throat, his first kill.

One more soul, lost to the Daleks' games.


	11. A New Alliance

On the morning of the next day, Amy is awoken by a considerable amount of noise coming from the end of the Cornucopia. She blinks her eyes open, to find that the Tenth Doctor is busy messing with their hoard of supplies, foods, and weapons. He seems to be rearranging them, sorting them.

"Doc—Ten," she says, groggily, forgetting his in-game pseudonym for a moment, "Did you not wake me for my watch?" She was supposed to get up to take her watch position around midnight, but she could see the sun beginning to rise in the distance.

"Yeah," he replies, "Must have slipped my mind; it's only sleep." He continued to work over the supplies.

"But what are you doing?" Amy asks, standing up to inspect what the Doctor is doing.

"I," he announces, "am packing. Packing supplies."

"What…" says Amy, horrified at this prospect, "What? You're not leaving! You promised!"

The Doctor sighs briefly, and replies, "I know, but—"

She interrupts him. "You promised we'd stick together, Doctor!"

"Just listen, Amy!"

Amy opens her mouth to yell again, but closes it, wanting to hear the Doctor out. She leans back, hand on one hip, looking expectantly to her companion.

He explains, "I'm packing, but not for me to leave you. It's for us to leave here. Together."

She is confused. "But, I thought we'd stay here?"

"Amy," says the Doctor, "How can we? There's people dying and killing out there." He lowers his voice, and moves in closer to Amy. "Innocent people have died. And I'll have no more of it."

Amy, taking in the idea, rolling it around inside her brain, whispers, "But what do you propose we do, then?"

The Doctor, arms full of miscellaneous supplies, does his best to put a hand on Amy's shoulder, as he replies, "We stop the games. An alliance of every tribute, refusing to kill... The Daleks won't be able to force us to kill each other if we simply choose not to."

Amy looks at him as though he's lost his mind. And, in a way, he has! Stop the games? Defy the Daleks? That's crazy! But, in the last couple weeks, Amy has grown to trust the Doctor with her life, and, though this idea might cause even more trouble, she trusts him enough to help him.

**~The Doctor Games~**

Later that morning, Lorna Bucket finds herself tramping north, along a mountain-stream. The stream, she knows, will flow south and east, joining with the icy river. She'd already been around the river, stayed there for a couple days, but has since decided to travel further north, to the mountain that she could see looming in the distance.

Walking, yet stumbling with weariness, Lorna decided to sit for a break, however, this idea is deterred, as a rock the size of a cat flies by her head. She ducks just in time, and hears the rock smash on the solid ground behind her. Heart racing, she looks wildly around her, when the instinct to flee takes over. She tears away, streaking further up the mountain.

Behind her, she hears rapid footsteps, belonging to a seemingly tireless pursuer. After only moment of the chase, Lorna feels a hand grasp around her shoulder, and her attacker pulls her down. She is crushed onto the ground, a knee jabbing her in her stomach, hands grabbing at her neck. They make contact just as she sees her pursuer's face: it's Lady Christina.

In a fit of adrenaline, she kicks wildly at Christina, her foot colliding with her side, knee jabbing her in the cheek. It's not a hard kick, due to Lorna's present position, but is enough to cause for Christina's grip on Lorna's throat to weaken. She takes the chance, and throws Christina off her body. Not waiting around, Lorna scrambles to her feet, and takes off again, those same footsteps following right behind her.

**~The Doctor Games~**

On the eastern side of that same mountain, River and the Doctor find themselves running, as well, from a different foe: a snow wolf. Its massive jaws covered in blood (It had briefly grabbed a hold of the Doctor's arm before the initial chase), and its eyes glowing a fierce red that stood out against its pure-white pelt.

The Daleks must have created it, or their slave-scientists. More and more ways to kill were being thought of every day. And the most recent idea? A wolf so great it was feared by every creature, so stealthy that it could be completely still and silent if need be, and so white that one might think it to be a bank of show, and attempt to "relieve oneself" upon it.

Ironically, that is precisely what had happened to the Doctor that very morning.

By noon, the Doctor and River, having run over rock and stream, find themselves at a head end, where the mountain path is cut off by a rock-fall, and the sides are covered in thorn bushes, tangled in the trees, making escape a messy business.

"Doctor, what do we do!" shouts River, hearing the snow wolf's approach around the corner.

The Doctor sputters his words, as he replies, "I—I—Well, I don't know, we… We're trapped!" He despairingly looks to the path, where, any second now, the wolf will come through, and rip them both to shreds.

"Sweetie?" River says, quietly, contemplating their eminent doom.

"Yes?" he replies, equally as somber.

She looks him in the eye. "I just thought you should know… Before we die…"

However, she doesn't get to reply, for, at that moment, a great and beautiful beast rounds the corner, but, instead of howling a white wolf's wrath, he just smiles his gorgeous, smug smile.

"Wow. Did you see the size of that puppy-dog?" Captain Jack says as he comes to meet his two frightened friends. (They had gotten to know each other during the week of training.)

"Jack!" the Doctor exclaims, as he greets his friend with a warm hug.

"Captain…" River says, amazed, joining the embrace, "Did you kill the snow wolf?"

"Not quite; I stuck a sword up in his side; that'll give the brute a nasty bellyache. Last I saw, he was running away, tail between his legs." They give a small laugh.

"Jack," says the Doctor, earnestly, "Thank you."

"Don't sweat it," Jack says, withdrawing. "Now, are we going to stay here all day? Or are we going to head for higher ground? I think there's a storm coming in."

At that, the three friends backtrack along the trail, until they come to a separate path that leads further up the mountain. Looking into the sky, the Doctor realizes Jack is right; the usually white-blue sky has turned a dull grey. Either snow or rain is to come, and, when it does, they had better find a shelter.

**~The Doctor Games~**

By noon, Sally Sparrow sits in a shallow cave on the inside of the volcano wall. Before her stretches yards of a stone floor, leading to a sharp drop off into the pit of fire below. She had thought to venture out to the edge, and look in at the lava, but, each time she'd get close to the edge, and she felt the heat on her face, she'd turn and scurry back, as if the lava were coming up to grab her and take her in.

So, there she sits, in a cave that was nothing more than a dip in the wall, far away from the lava, waiting for her companion and friend to return to her. The previous night, Sally had awoken from her half-dead state for longer than a few moments. When she did not sink back under, a package with a silver parachute dropped out of the sky, containing a bow and some arrows.

Nine had taken it as a message; Sally would be fine on her own, and that he should go hunting. He'd been gone for hours, and Sally has begun to get restless, worrying that he'd slipped and fallen, and was dying somewhere. Her only hope was the fact that she'd not heard a cannon blast yet.

At long last, Sally hears footsteps on the stone passageway into the little lair.

"Nine? Nine is that you?" she calls.

"Yup! It's me. And I've brought food." Nine walks down into view. He is dragging a large white beast, splattered with red. "Found him walking along a cliff, and thought 'there's a meal right there.' He was already wounded, and an arrow to the skull finished him right off."

"Nine, that's amazing!" Sally exclaims. "But do you even know how to… how to properly prepare that thing to eat?"

Nine shrugs. "Can't be too difficult; I'll figure it out."

It turns out to be a bit more difficult than Nine suspected, but, after a couple hours, there is a nice fire going with a few slabs of meat set to roast above it.

"What are we going to do, Nine?" Sally asks, as they sit and watch the meat cook.

"What do you mean?" he responds.

"I mean, about the games. How do we win? How to we keep from killing each other in the end? What happens now?"

Nine sighs, and replies, "I don't know. We could split up after this. Tomorrow I could wrap up some supplies and head off back down the mountain."

"After we've come this far?" when Nine doesn't reply she continues, "There isn't a safer place in the arena than right here, in this volcano. Except for, perhaps the Cornucopia, but… the journey back down there could take a day, maybe two. And there are real killers out there. It'd be too dangerous to leave here."

"Sally," he says, after a moment's thought. "I'm not going to kill you. And you're not going to kill me. But if we stay together, it might come down to that."

"I know, but… I'm scared," she admits. She leans forward on her knees, propping her head on them.

"Good," Nine replies, as he checks on the food cooking before them, "Scared keeps you fast. Scared keeps you alive." He looks back at her, and says, "You're going to be just fine."

Sally smiles, and thinks, _I hope so._

**~THE FREAKING DOCTOR GAMES FTW~**

** This chapter doesn't end at the end of the day. Just to shake things up, it ends in the early afternoon! :O**

** Sorry I haven't updated for a couple weeks. I've been busy with school and such. But now my schedule's freer and I can write more! :D**

** I hope you enjoyed it!**


	12. Anger

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been really busy lately, what with the holidays and such. But here's the next chapter in... The Doctor Games! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!**

**THE DOCTOR GAMES**

In the mid-afternoon heat, Jeff finds himself collapsing on the side of a mountain trail. He'd been patrolling the base of the mountain all morning, in the hopes of coming upon anyone coming up the mountain. The weather certainly looks like a storm is brewing, and there's no doubt in Jeff's mind that several tributes will be taking not, going to the mountain to get better shelter.

And Jeff will be waiting.

He sits on the side of the dirt trail, and wipes his face with his sleeve, getting the dirt off of him. The previous day, he'd successfully made his first kill, after his foiled ambush of River and Eleven earlier in the games. But he knows that, in order to win, for himself and for his family, he needs to continue to make a comeback..

Getting back to his feet, he hears something in the distance, like the sound of approaching footsteps. He picks up his weapon, a makeshift spear, hoping it won't fail him in whatever is coming.

He takes a defensive position just as Leo Jones bursts through the trees. He is brandishing a club, the end of which has been placed a few razor-sharp spikes, a formidable weapon. They find themselves locked in a staring match, each one, knowing the other to be able of killing, afraid to make the first move, but brave enough not to bolt.

The bravery holds out just long enough. Another sound is heard by the two of them: footsteps of another approaching tribute. Their attention is distracted for only a moment, but, in the split second that they dare to blink, Jeff takes his opportunity, and turns, barreling through the trees, up the mountain, and away from eminent danger.

Leo, however, turns into the sound, and raises his club.

"Alright!" he calls into the woods, seeing his breath crystallize in the crisp air. "Come on out, then! Who's there!"

His question is answered moments after. Out of the woods, steps not another tribute, but a young boar. Its ears flop about it's head as it looks up to Leo with big, glassy eyes. However, Leo is not amused. He brings his weapon down hard at the boar, and it runs away with a frightened squeal.

Realizing he'd lost his most recent hunt to nothing more than a baby pig, he screams at the sky and, pumped by anger and adrenaline, rages up the mountain, after Jeff-The-Good-Looking-One.

**~THE DOCTOR GAMES~**

"Doctor, did you hear that?" asks Amy, stopping from their trek for a moment to listen to the sky.

The Doctor nods, "Yes, I heard it. Sounded like a scream."

"Or a battle cry," Amy retorts, a bit scared.

After standing still a moment to hear for another scream, the Doctor looks at Amy, and says, "Well... Let's follow it!"

Then, the two of them set of, determinately, towards the sound, towards the mountain. On their brisk journey, Amy suddenly stops, and pulls the Doctor to look at her discovery.

"Look," she says. "What is that?"

The Doctor kneels by the gruesome pile of flesh, fuzz, and blood, and responds, "A piglet, by the looks of it."

"Someone's been hunting," Amy decides. She stands straighter, awaiting the hunter to return for it's prey. However, the Doctor thinks otherwise.

"Problem is," he begins, "Why would somebody go through the trouble to hunt this pig, only to leave it on the ground. And see?" He indicated the ground around him. "The pig's footprints are all around, but no human footprints anywhere near. This pig must have been injured and tried to run away."

"But why would someone take a bash at a little pig?" Amy asks incredulously. "What purpose would it serve?"

The Doctor sighs, and replies the only possible solution he can think of, "Anger relief."

The Doctor looks back at Amy, and the shared expression confirms their fears. Aware of an immediate danger, they both draw their blades, and continue on through the forest, towards the mountain.

**~THE DOCTOR GAMES~**

Back in the volcano crater, Sally and Nine are just finishing their mid-day meal of cooked snow-wolf. Sally previously expected it to taste terrible, and had herself prepared to run for the corner of the little cave to throw up. However, she's pleasantly surprised when the meal not only tastes good, but doesn't come back up afterwords.

"Honestly, Nine," she says, "That wasn't half bad."

"Nobody can say I can't cook," he says, "Not even in the middle of a volcano."

They share a quick laugh, each one reminiscing on other times they'd been able to laugh like that. Spending time with friends. Relaxing with family members. Both Sally and Nine know that this might very well be the last time they felt comfortable and happy. All too soon, the warm feeling is cut short.

Her smile disappears. "Did you hear that?" she says, voice low with fear.

Nine stands and turns to face the entrance to their camp. "Get back." He orders, and moves in front of her.

A heartbeat later, Lorna dashes down the stone path, followed hard by Lady Christina de Souza. Lorna, shocked both by her surroundings, and at seeing two other tributes there, pauses for a moment. The moment is enough for Christina to tackle her to the ground, seemingly oblivious of the two spectators.

"Nine, what do we do?" Sally asks, peering around his arm to get a look at the struggle before them.

"Have we got weapons?" he asks, not taking his eyes off of Christina and Lorna. Lorna has now managed to overcome Christina, her military training paying off. Christina still puts forward lethal effort and skill.

Sally looks around, and notices Nine's hunting supplies. "Four arrows," she answers, quickly bringing them to him, along with the bow. He takes them, and sets one arrow, taking aim.

"What are you going to do?" Sally asks.

He replies simply, "Something clever."

He releases the arrow, and it flies towards the two fighting women, and catches in a bunch of Christina's hair. It wrenches her head and torso away, and she falls to the ground as the arrow clanks into the face of the stone wall and shatters. Lorna and Christina both fall away to shield themselves from an splinters, and, the fight delayed, they both lie on the floor, both slightly stunned, but neither trying to kill the other.

"Now then," nine says with a smug grin, "Sit down, shut up, and don't try to murder anyone." To make his point clear, he loaded another arrow. Both seeing his archery skills previously displayed, Christina and Lorna sit up against the stone wall, well away from each other.

Grabbing an arrow, Sally joins Nine in front of the girls. "Now what?"

"Now, we wait."

"For what?"

Nine looks back at the stone walkway entrance, and replies, "For something to happen."

**~THE DOCTOR GAMES~**

** Okay, so, there's the chapter! Hope you like it! Please review!**


	13. Reunited

"Sweetie!" River calls down from the cliff where she's perched alongside Jack, "Just start climbing!"

They'd been travelling in the same fashion all day. Walking along a trail, finding a cliff, scaling a rock face, and repeat. It had given them a lot of altitude with the same amount of physical exertion. Anyone else would have had to be running full speed to be where they were in less than a day. However, the wall they currently face is so overgrown with strange blue vines that it is impossible to see the stone underneath. In the dimming light, it is even harder to see. Despite this, River and Jack had both immediately scaled the wall. The Doctor, however, turns out to be a bit more hesitant. He now finds himself stuck halfway up the rock face.

"My foot seems to be caught in the vines!" He shakes his leg, trying to free himself.

"Don't worry, River," Jack says, sliding off the cliff back into the vines, "I'll get him."

Shimmying down through the vines, Jack gets to the Doctor in no time.

"Actually," Eleven says, as Jack approaches him, "My foot's fine now. I must have gotten it—"

The Doctor's speech s immediately cut off. Jack looks down to see why. A blue vine has somehow gotten tangled along in Eleven's mouth. Jack almost laughs; until he sees the veins move. Another Dalek invention: Living vines. And the vines don't stop. The swirl around the Doctor's arms and legs, burying him in the cliff before Jack's eyes. Without stopping to think, he plunges into the swarm of blue vines.

"Jack? Doctor?" River calls from the cliff. A knot of the vines has formed, right where the Doctor and Jack had been moments before, and the entire wall resembles a gloomy ocean of snakes.

After a few tantalizing moments of silence, Jack's labored speech makes it up to River, as he fights his way through the vines. "Riv… Elp… Sho… An… Now…!"

"What?" she calls out. "I can't hear you!"

Jack's head momentarily breaks out of the vines. "Shoot it!" he orders, before he is swallowed again by the vicious plants.

Taking her blaster out of her holster, she aims it down alongside the cliff. She swallows hard, trying to aim. Every second, however, the Doctor's arm or Jack's back or some other obscure body part will break through the wrath of vines. River can't be sure not to hit either one of them. Taking a deep breath, she shuts her eyes and fires the gun blindly into the fray.

She steps away from the cliff, as the sound of a high pitched squealing pierces the air. The vines recoil from the blast, and, a moment later, an arm appears, followed by the rest of Jack, lugging Eleven up behind him.

"Doctor!" River rushes forward and helps Eleven the rest of the way, as Jack stands up.

Once he regains his composure, Eleven turns to Jack and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Jack… What can I say? Thank you."

"Hey, it's no problem," Jack replies, "Saving your life twice in one day? What more could I ask for?"

"Perhaps some clothing," River offers. Jack looks down, to see his shirt had been ripped clean off in the tangle with the living vines.

"Aw man," he whines comically, "I liked that shirt." He winks playfully at River. "It was sexy." He shrugs, and leads the way on up the mountain. River and Eleven follow behind him.

Adrenaline wearing off, Jack begins to notice just how cold it is on top of that mountain. River had a good-sized, if not scratchy blanket, and is currently managing to travel and climb with it wrapped around her. The Doctor has a heat-trapping jacket, his most recent gift from his mentor. But Jack has himself left, exposed to the frigid air. He'd be fine, though, if only there was something to distract him from the biting chill. Finally, he finds that distraction. On the ground, he squints through the dying of the light to see little red spots. In fact, they were all over, and, upon inspection, he finds they lead further up the mountain. River and Eleven join him in inspecting the discovery.

"Blood," Jack declares.

"The question is," says a man's voice mysteriously coming out of the shadows, "Whose blood is it?"

Eleven, Jack, and River turn to face the direction of the voice, which came down the trail a bit. And, as they stare into the gloomy twilight, they can make out two shapes coming towards them. As they get closer, Jack recognizes Ten. And then Eleven recognizes his companion.

"Amy!" He runs forward, and she meets him, happy to be back with her friend.

"Eleven—Er, Doctor!" She greets him, throwing her arms around him.

After a moment of hugging and re-uniting, Eleven says, "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"You, too," She replies with a smile.

"Now," Eleven directly addresses Ten. "You and I might need to talk about something, but there's no—"

"I agree," Ten says, cutting his future self off. "No time for sentimentality."

In the training center, the Daleks had strict rules on socialization. Anyone who might affect the timeline of another must not interact with that person. The Daleks had broken time enough already, they didn't want to chance a greater fracture. This meant that Amy and Rory couldn't talk with River, Chantho couldn't speak to the Master, and, most importantly, the three Doctors couldn't see each other. But they were in the arena, now. The perfect time to sort things out.

But that's a conversation for another time, and both Doctors know that. So, after a moment of discussion and planning, they regroup, and follow the little trail of blood. They have just begun to travel, when the Dalek symbol appears in the sky, signaling the end of the day. However, with the lack of deaths, the little group only uses the light to travel up the mountain by. They continue walking, even after the light is all gone and they're travelling entirely by torch-light, all of them dreading what they might find at the end of the trail of blood.

**~LOS JUEGOS DE MEDICO~**

** Yes, I did just roughly translate "The Doctor Games" into Spanish. It's just what I do.**

** Anyway, this story is about wrapping up. Tragic, I know. Be prepared for the next chapter, and a lot more creative ways to die! Enjoy the pain and torment! :D**

** Oh, and don't forget to give me lots of reviews.**


	14. Into the Pit

**Okay, so, yeah. It's been a while. I've been busy. Plus, I had to re-write this chapter, like, twenty billion times, because I couldn't decide how I wanted it to go. But now I've decided! And… Well… Here you go!**

_**~The Doctor Games~**_

By midnight, the situation at the volcano had changed quite a bit. Nine had lowered his arrow when he'd noticed Christina's head lolling to the side, on the verge of slumber. Lorna, however, had been keeping awake, eyeing Christina and Nine, not sure what to think of either. Sally had put down her one weapon, and has taken up a position back by her little bed, the blanket along the cavern wall.

"Sally," Nine says after some time of standing in silence. "Do you think you can bring me some of the leftover meat?"

"Hungry?" she replies, grabbing a small piece of their food.

"Not me," Nine answers, "It's for them."

Sally pauses, shocked that Nine cared about whether or not their prisoners were hungry. Nevertheless, she slowly walks to hand the food to Nine, the whole time not taking her eyes off the ledge where the ground gave way to a pit of lava. She passes the meat off to her companion, and scurries away, back towards away from the heat, heart pounding.

"I'm sorry," Nine says afterwards. "I forgot you were so scared of the volcano."

Sally nods, and replies, "I just… I just don't want to fall in. I couldn't think of a more horrible way to…"

She trails off, but that's okay. Nine knows what she's going to say. He himself is scared of the pit of lava, but he's managed to dull the fear to a small feeling of worry. He wishes Sally could do the same, but showed no disappointment when she couldn't.

"Hey, Lorna," Nine calls, dangling the meat in front of him. "Hungry?"

She looks up, and sees what Nine is offering. "No," she answers, looking away.

"Come on," he taunts, "You've been sitting there for hours. You're not tired, you're not hungry… What are you?"

"I'm waiting. Same as you," she answers simply, looking to the entrance of the pit.

Seeing he'd get nothing else out of Lorna, he turns to the other one. "Christina! Wakey wakey!"

She opens her eyes and blinks up at Nine. "I wasn't asleep."

"Quite right, too," he responds. "Hungry?"

Christina's response is the opposite of Lorna's. She looks at the food excitedly, saying, "Am I ever!"

Nine tosses the meat to Christina, who catches it and hungrily devours it, relishing in the remorseful looks from Lorna. For a moment, things are light. Less tense. Almost comical, the way Christina rubs her meal in Lorna's proud face. However, all four tributes in the volcano are suddenly met with an icy cold claw of fear, as a voice rings out in the cavernous space.

"Feeding your prisoners instead of killing them?" the voice is identified as Leo Jones, as he is seen coming down the walkway, holding a club in his left hand, and a knife in the other, a stream of blood trickling out of a split lip and down his jaw.

Leo Jones strides up to Nine, who's arrow is back in the bow, and taught to attack. The two men stare at each other, sizing up the competition, not sure what the other is going to do. Sally and Christina's gazes are both locked on the impasse in front of them, knowing the outcome would affect everything else.

Lorna, however, sees this as an escape opportunity. After all, she'd already died once. Fear of another death helped press her to run for freedom. Fast on her feet, she darts across the crater. She makes it to the end of the pathway in, but stops completely, when she finds her way blocked by another tribute, brandishing a spear. And she can't even comprehend that it is Jeff (the Good Looking One, no doubt), when the spear makes contact with her flesh, piercing through her shoulder and out the other side. Nine, Leo, Sally, and Christina all stare in horror as she falls limply to the ground.

In the second of still, nobody is expecting it when Leo Jones tosses his weapons aside, and tackles Nine to the ground, snapping the bow in half, shattering the arrow. The two tributes, locked in combat, slide across the rocky ground closer to the cliff's edge.

Christina, using the same strategy Lorna used earlier, runs to Jeff, and lands a sharp combat kick to the jaw. Jeff reels, and then retaliates at Christina with the spear. She ducks, and attacks again, and soon, Christina and Jeff are in a similar tussle to Nine and Leo, Sally looking on, heart pounding.

She looks over to Nine, and, with horror, sees how close they are to the edge, so close to going into the pit of lava. Leo has achieved the upper hand, and stands behind Nine, arm around his neck, choking the life out of him. Sally can see that Nine is too weak to fight him off.

Twisting around, Nine makes eye contact with Sally, standing against the wall, too scared to breathe. Nine's face has turned a dull blue color. He knows he only has moments left, with the strength Leo has been putting into his death. She knows that, once Nine is gone, Leo will come after her.

With what force Nine has left, he mouths to Sally, _I'm sorry, Sally._

That is it for her. She can't stand by and watch any longer. Swallowing her fear, she pushes off against the wall, and sprints across the distance between herself and Leo. She slams into him, full force, wrenching his grip away from Nine. Sally and Leo careen over the edge, and, for a moment, Sally twists her head around to see Nine, panting on the ground, clutching his neck. Her name forms on his lips just as Sally and Leo plunge into the hot lava below with a blood curdling scream. And that, the last fleeting glance and a whip of her head, is the last thing he sees of the blonde girl whom he cared for so dearly.

Two cannons shoot through the air, just as Ten, Eleven, Jack, River, and Amy burst in.


	15. A Few Moments Of Calm

**I know… It's been months. But, here, I whipped this up especially for you!**

They all stare about themselves for a moment. Each person in the pit terrified of the newcomers, yet glad they're here as well. For the moment of still, all fighting stops, and all eyes turn towards Ten. It seems as though he knows what to do.

"Alright," he says, striding carefully forward. Christina and Jeff are both still battle-ready, and with everyone else on-edge, the last thing he wants is to start another brawl. He addresses everyone. "Here we are then. The last tributes. All here together."

Jeff raises his weapon, and steps forward. "Makes the job easier, then—"

Ten stops him. "No, no. Don't you see? We can win the games, right here, right now."

"What's he going on about?" Amy whispers to River. River holds a hand up, telling her to just wait.

And Ten continues, "It's simple. Don't you see? If we all just refuse to fight—What can the daleks do?"

Eleven steps up, too. "None of us have to die. No more death. We could try to turn the tables. Just refuse to fight."

"It's that simple?" asks Jack.

Everyone stands silent, shocked at how much weight that question carries.

At last, Nine spoke, "Of course it isn't. The daleks will find a way to continue the games. We can't win them."

Ten shakes his head. "Don't let the deaths be for nothing. Come on!"

"Right, then!" Eleven says. He turns around on the spot to face everyone. "This is it! Our only way to fight back is to stop fighting. Can we all do that? Just this once, can we all try to get along? If not for yourselves, do it for someone else. Fight back for those who can't. And, if the daleks try to force us—We'll just have to remain strong, together."

"Alright." Amy steps forward. "For Rory."

Nine steps forward as well. "For Sally."

Ten steps forward and nods. "For Rose."

Jack agrees. "For Rose."

"For my TARDIS," Eleven says.

And the rest joined in, too. Either afraid to speak, or finding it not necessary, but, wither way, completing the alliance. They all have made the decision. It becomes final. The last few tributes have banded together in one alliance. Surely the daleks haven't forseen this. Surely it will work.

But the hopeful thoughts don't last long. Because, in the few still moments of hope, in the fw moments of _'maybe we can win,'_ a howl breaks through the sky. The howl of a great wolf. And, a moment later, another howl joins the call. More and more, until it becomes apparent. A threat is coming. A catalyst to create the play that the daleks crave in their game. And the reaction is on it's breaking point.


	16. The Pack

"Quick!" nine says, as all crouch instinctively lower to the ground, "to the cave." He leads them back to the indent that had served as his and Sally's camp. They huddle low into it, and Nine moves to the back, all the while the howling getting louder and louder.

"Doctor," Amy says to Eleven, next to her, "Look over there." She points to the entrance of the cave, where Lorna's body still lays.

"What about it?" he replies, only glancing at the body in his search above the cavern , just in case the wolves break through.

Amy nudges his shoulder and says, "Why is her body still there?"

"Hmm?" River says, overhearing.

"Yeah, isn't there usually the transmat that gets rid of them?" Amy asks.

After thinking on it a moment, Eleven replies, "Unless…"

"Did anyone hear," says River to everyone, "a canon go off when she died?"

Nobody replies, because, and it dawns on them all at the same time, that, in the chaos, none of them heard the blast to indicate she's dead. Lorna, while bleeding and broken, is still alive down at the other end of the cave.

"Someone will have to go get her," Ten announces.

A second later, he splits away, heading straight at the girl, just as, much to his companions' dismay, the first white wolf bursts into the cavern. It lets out a fierce howl, and barrels towards Ten, who, raising his sword, bats it away and keeps on running. Jeff grabs a spear, and plants himself out in front of the cave, as River joins him, brandishing her blaster, still with two shots left loaded on it. The wolves are streaming in, bypassing Ten, however, and running towards the others.

Christina, Jack, and Amy also grabs weapons to help defend, and Eleven looks back at Nine, who is sitting towards the back wall of the cave.

Eleven is about to join in the defense, but he notices Nine, sitting where he is. "What are you doing?" he cries, almost incredulous.

Nine turns around, revealing to his future self, a blue device in his hand. A sonic screwdriver.

His eyes widen, and Eleven says, breathlessly, "How did you get _that_?"

Nine smiles, and replies, showing a grey parachute in his other hand, "Mickey's not that much of an idiot." And he turns back to the wall. Eleven ignores him, deciding that, if he's as clever as Eleven remembered being, that Nine's plan, whatever it is, is doing just fine.

But outside the little cavern, the battle was raging. All the while, Ten trying with all his might to dodge and duck the wolves racing around him, slashing away at them. He's just yards away from Lorna, now, and has yet to hear that fateful cannon that announces it's too late, that his foolish attempt has been for nothing. He is twenty feet away, then feet away, then five, then three, and then… He reaches out an arm to touch her, just as a canon goes off.

Then another.

And another still.

Heart pounding, he feels for a pulse on Lorna's wrist, and, when he comes away disappointed, he blinks, and the body's gone. But he has no time to think on the events, for the next thing he knows, he's flying into the air, his shoulder seared with pain where the wolf has bitten down on him. Somewhere between finding Lorna dead, and landing on the ground, it begins to rain, steadily at first, then all at once. The water catches him by surprise as he thuds on the ground. He's been thrown halfway back to the cave, right in the middle of the fight, and the dogs are on him again, fighting, clawing, killing. It seems to be no use, though, there are too many, and not enough energy to fight. It seems to be all over…

"Come on, you lot!" Nine's cry comes from inside the cave. "Come in here!"

Without thinking, the remaining tributes turn from the wolves, and towards the voice, the promise of salvation. And, when they run into the previously miniscule cave, they hardly notice when, instead of running into a dull cavern, they run into a lit hallway, with geometric walls and lights in the floor and walls and ceiling, and designs running up the walls.

"What's going on here?" asks Jack, spitting blood from his mouth.

"There was a door at the back of the cave," Nine replies, showing his sonic screwdriver. "I just had to open it to see where it went."

At the opening, Eleven was ushering the last of them, Christina and Ten, into the safety of the cave. He's about to run and hide himself, when he can't help himself, and looks at the old battlefield, full of blood and bodies. His breath catches in his throat as he sees a brief glimpse of Amy's red hair, matted with blood and water, and sees her body, lying half-crushed beneath the corpse of a snowy white wolf. A flash of lightning— and her body is transmatted away. He turns his head to the side, and finds Jeff, lying at the bottom of the cliff wall, broken by an impact, just as he is also taken away. But the wolves have noticed that they lost their targets, and are running towards Eleven now.

He ducks into the cave, through the newly-opened passageway, and stands aside for Nine, with the help of the sonic, to close the door again. Eleven turns around, and takes in his surroundings, no time for grief to take him just yet. Everyone else has made it inside, he notices. He also recognizes the new setting, and announces to those of their party who remain, "Welcome," he walks forward and gestures to the walls, "To the Game Station."


	17. The Gamestation

**Author's Note: Okay, so this story was written in present tense, just like the original Hunger Games. However, I got through writing this entire chapter, only to realize it's all in the wrong tense. So, can we please just pretend that it's like the others, so I don't have to go back and change every single verb? Please and thank you. Have a lovely day.**

Ten led the group inside the hallway, into an enormous atrium that offered a view of several floors above. The remaining tributes followed in, staring in awe at the gigantic space that had been seemingly crammed into the side of a mountain.

"What is this place?" Nine asked.

"You haven't been here yet?" came Eleven's confused reply. Nine shook his head.

"Nope. Last I was at, we were on our way back from Raxicoricofallapatorious," he said. "Then the TARDIS flew into a time storm, and, when we got out of it, history had changed. The Daleks achieved supremacy, and initiated the games."

"Not quite how I remember it," muttered Jack.

"But Doctor," River said to eleven, "Where are we?" If she was at all scared, her voice did not betray her.

"It's a sort of tv station," explained Ten. "A satellite."

"A perfect arena," Jack said, disdainfully. "For a game where the winner gets to live, and the losers die."

"Why so angry?" Christina chided cheekily.

"Other than having been forced to watch several innocent people be ruthlessly murdered," he replied venomously, "This was where I first died."

"Oh my god," River said, looking off to the side, at a window. "That's space. We're in space."

"The entire arena was on this ship," said Nine.

Christina was skeptical. "Impossible."

"No, no," Ten said, strolling away from the little group, letting his flow of thought carry him as it went. "It's perfectly possible, to someone with extensive knowledge of Time Lord technology."

"And Daleks know a lot about Time Lords," Jack said, "Just like them to use your own technology to watch you die. Some game."

"No, no, but there's something that doesn't make sense," Ten continued. "Something just doesn't add up. I just can't put my finger on it. But there's something off. I can tell. I can…" He stuck his tounge out and smacked his lips. "I can taste it. But what is it. Something obvious. Something about Daleks. Daleks. Games. Doctor Games. Time War. Doctor Games. What is it?"

Ten could have gone on forever, but River raised her hand to pause him, and said, "Call me crazy, Ten, but I think I recall that Daleks are a bit of an impersonal race. You told me that once, I think... I'm not sure…"

"Yes?" Ten replied.

River continued. "They don't have art or religion or families or love…"

Ten understood. "Or entertainment."

It clicked for Nine then, too. "Daleks would never have games. They'd just kill us all. So why did they do it?"

The air hung heavy and stiff for a moment, but then, Eleven shouted out in a eureka moment. "I remember!"

"What is it?" asked Jack.

"An alien who knows about Time Lords. A heapload about us. He'd have to, with how many he's killed. He's know how to make a space bigger on the inside. He loves being entertained… Yes! I know now! Oh, if Rory and Amy were here I'd have figured it out sooner, but—" He still didn't allow himself to react to the pain of their death.

"What is it!?" Ten prompted.

Eleven walked into the middle of the room, and began to shout at the sky. "Your perception filter couldn't keep the truth out forever! I remember you from that parallel universe. Last I saw you, you murdered innocent people. You've killed my people. You killed my TARDIS. Remember her? Idris? I thought I'd dealt with you then, but clearly I left some strings unattached. I don't know how you came to control the Daleks, but mark my words, House, I will end you."

For a few heartsbeats, everything was quiet and still. But then, it was broken, by a booming voice calling down from up above, just as the lights began to take on a green glow.

"Oh, Doctor," the voice said, eerily calm, "you always spoil my fun."


End file.
